I'm trying to get information about an ancestor who MAY have been admitted to the New York State Lunatic Asylum in Utica, Oneida County, New York in 1844 (160 years ago!). I have the court records declaring her insane according to the standards of that institution. Apparently various records (case files, visitation books, etc.) do exist for that institution but they are kept at the Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center in Utica. When I inquired about the records I was told that they would not be available due to HIPAA.
Does this restriction on my accessing those records seem reasonable to people who are concerned about misuse of their records today?
Is there any way around this for me? I would really like to access the records in order to further my research into my family history. I have not been able to determine where my ancestor died, where she is buried, or whether or not her youngest daughter survived.
Does this restriction on my accessing those records seem reasonable to people who are concerned about misuse of their records today?
Is there any way around this for me? I would really like to access the records in order to further my research into my family history. I have not been able to determine where my ancestor died, where she is buried, or whether or not her youngest daughter survived.